Education

Childhood trauma is often passed from generation to generation in cycles that are hard to break. Based on data from the 2012 Iowa Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), on average, five out of every 30 students in an Iowa classroom live with a parent that has experienced significant childhood traumas. These experiences may impact a parent’s stress response and can sometimes translate into tumultuous childhoods for their children.

In our education trainings, specifically, we show the impacts that high levels of stress have on student academic performance and social outcomes. We explore - through discussion, activities, a film screening, and action planning - how school communities can come together to create a common language around trauma and resilience, and begin taking steps toward creating more compassionate, trauma-sensitive environments. It is our ultimate goal to see all members of a school - students, faculty, and families - succeed.